Psychic Must Pay Skeptics Up To $120,000 January 1995

The settlement ends a four-year battle in the Washington D.C. courts that began with Geller filing a $15 million suit against CSICOP and magician James "The Amazing" Randi, alleging defamation, invasion of privacy, and tortious interference with prospective advantage. Geller filed suit because Randi had stated in an April 9, 1991, interview with the International Herald Tribune that Geller had "tricked even reputable scientists" with tricks that "are the kind that used to be on the back of cereal boxes when I was a kid. Apparently scientists don't eat cornflakes anymore."

CSICOP, an Amherst, New York-based not-for-profit scientific and educational organization dedicated to investigating claims of psychic phenomena such as those made by Geller, was not charged with any specific conduct. CSICOP maintained throughout that it was a frivolous suit brought by Geller to harass the organization. The U.S. District Court in Washington D.C. ruled in favor of CSICOP and awarded almost $150,000 in sanctions against Geller.

In efforts to overturn the sanctions award Geller then lost two motions for reconsideration in the District Court, followed by a 3-0 loss in the U.S. Court of Appeals and most recently another loss in the appeals court when his petition for rehearing was denied on January 25, 1995.

The settlement agreement calls for Geller to pay CSICOP $70,000 in cash over three years and the first $50,000 of any sums recovered by Geller in a new action he is bringing against his former attorneys. In addition, Geller must also drop another suit against skeptical book publisher Prometheus Books and other skeptics filed in London, England. In an earlier suit that Geller had brought against Prometheus Books, Victor Stenger, and Paul Kurtz, in Miami, Florida, Geller was compelled by the Court to pay Prometheus Books an additional $20,000 in legal fees.

Barry Karr, CSICOP executive director, commented: "Although we settled for somewhat less than the entire $150,000 awarded to us as sanctions for the frivolous suit, we are very pleased with this victory. Prior to filing suit, Geller, an Israeli citizen living in England, placed his assets in trust, rendering uncertain our ability to collect. Instead of spending thousands more in legal fees to pierce the trust in London, we decided it best to end it now."

Paul Kurtz, CSICOP chairman, said: "When the principles upon which CSICOP was founded are at stake, we are prepared to do battle all the way, if it should prove necessary. We believe deeply in a free press, freedom of speech and scientific inquiry, and the importance of dissent." He characterized the Geller suit as the "kind of suit being used as a means of silencing debate on significant scientific issues."

Related Information

• Books:
  • Physics and Psychics by Victor J. Stenger
  • The Transcendental Temptation by Paul Kurtz
  • The Truth About Uri Geller by James Randi
  • Search for: Uri Geller

• Prometheus Books

• Victor J. Stenger

• James Randi

• Search CSICOP: Uri Geller
• Search Yahoo: Uri Geller

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